The Chronic Impact of Cigarette Smoking on the Chronotropic Response to Progressive Exhausting Exercise in Middle-aged Men

Chronotropic incompetence is defined as a decrease in the heart rate response to exercise. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to investigate the chronic effect of smoking on Chronotropic Response to exhausting exercise in Middle-aged Men.

This prospective study was performed on 1045 individual referred to oxygen sports medical center in 2019. In total, 30 smoker and 30 non-smoker cases were selected and evaluated. Required information was extracted from the case file. Independent T-test was used for data analysis.

There was no significant difference in age, physical activity level, maximum heart rate predicted by age, time to exhaustion and Workload tolerance in smokers and nonsmokers (p < 0.05). Smokers heart rate at rest, during submaximal intensity and recovery was significantly higher than non-smokers (p < 0.05). Percentage of heart rate change from rest to sub-maximal intensity and maximum heart rate in smokers was significantly lower than non-smokers (p < 0.05).

Cigarette smoking can increase resting heart rate, blunted heart rate response during exercise, and inability to reach the maximum heart rate predicted by age. In addition, cigarette smoking blunted heart rate response during recovery. These findings indicate chronotropic Incompetence in smokers.